1. Technical Field
The present invention is related generally to a data processing system and in particular to a method and apparatus for processing data. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method, apparatus, and computer instructions for an install engine used to install software onto a data processing system.
2. Description of Related Art
Business software has become increasingly complex as businesses increasingly rely on computers and computer software to conduct business. For example, companies that conduct a great deal of business over a network such as the Internet require highly complex software executed on many different servers, nodes, and possibly clients to perform and track electronic transactions. Building, updating, and running complex software has become extremely burdensome due to the size and complexity of the software. An example of such software is WebSphere® Application Server provided by International Business Machines Corporation (WebSphere is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both). Other examples of such software include large operating systems, such as Microsoft® Windows® or UNIX, or other large distributed software systems (Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both).
Many programmers from different parts of the world may contribute to complex software, creating the potential for conflict and confusion. Programmers may be required to hunt for bugs in huge amounts of code with which they are not familiar. Different programmers may write code that conflicts with other code in the software being developed. In addition, end users may create their own code for use with the complex software.
Install engines have been created that re-install complete software every time an update is needed. An install engine that provides updates as they are created has also been created.
Another system generates software based on business components. Logical business components in a business are defined with each business component having different capabilities. Functional interrelationships are identified between the logical business components and code modules are generated to carry out the capabilities and interrelationships of the logical business components. In another presently available system, a bundle configuration utility for configuring network pluggable components for deployment in embedded servers is used.